National Guard husband vanishes, and his wife's alleged affair — and a new mattress — raise chilling questions of murder



A Utah mother allegedly shot her husband to death in their bed in September, according to claims by her alleged lover. The husband has been missing since last month.

Jennifer Gledhill, 41, told police she and her estranged husband met to talk Sept. 20 and began “drinking whiskey," according to an arrest report.

The mother of three allegedly told her lover that she transported her husband's body "north, dug a hole, and buried him in a shallow grave."

Gledhill and her husband — 51-year-old Matthew Johnson — allegedly agreed to have sex that night.

"Jennifer informed [the officer] due to the intoxication from the whiskey she had a hard time recalling the events that took place after her and Matthew had sex," the warrant states, according to KSTU-TV.

Johnson — a member of the Utah National Guard — was reported missing Sept. 23.

The next day, Gledhill reportedly contacted the Cottonwood Heights Police Department to file a domestic violence incident report against her husband.

She allegedly informed an officer that "bruises were all over her body," and she wanted them photographed for evidence.

The warrant noted that an officer noticed several bruises on Gledhill's arms, hands, legs, and a bruise under her left eye.

Gledhill claimed Johnson "became upset," but she could not remember why, according to the warrant.

"Jennifer informed me she remembered Matthew was on top of her with a closed fist striking her several times," Gledhill reportedly told police.

However, an informant told investigators a different story.

An unnamed man who claimed to be having an affair with Gledhill reportedly told police that she informed him that she sustained bruises from "moving Matthew’s body and cleaning the mess in the house."

'I washed everything & vacuumed & it's not an issue anymore.'

The alleged lover also made another bombshell accusation.

Fox News reported that the lover informed investigators that Gledhill came over to his house on Sept. 22, and she told him that she was "likely going away for a long time."

According to police, the informant claimed that Gledhill told him that she and Johnson got into a fight on Sept. 20 "because he knew she had been sleeping with someone else."

The informant allegedly told police Gledhill confessed to him that she shot Johnson in the head with his 9mm Glock "as he slept in their shared bed."

Court documents said Gledhill told her lover "that she loaded Matthew’s body into a rooftop storage container, slid him down the stairs by herself, and loaded him into the back of her minivan."

Documents added that the mother of three allegedly told her lover that she transported her husband's body "north, dug a hole, and buried him in a shallow grave."

The probable cause affidavit noted that Gledhill sent the informant text messages and messages on WhatsApp, including one that reportedly read: "I washed everything & vacuumed & it's not an issue anymore."

Gledhill told the informant that if she were told a story like the one she told him that "she would take it to the grave," according to court documents.

A neighbor reportedly told police that she witnessed Gledhill’s parents inside the home "cleaning" the garage and "moving things around" on Sept. 24. The suspect's mother reportedly confirmed to investigators that she was at her daughter's house Sept. 24.

Johnson has yet to be found.

'Take it to the grave.'

Detectives found Johnson's truck and his cellphone inside it less than a mile from his home.

While serving a search warrant at Gledhill’s residence, detectives allegedly noted that the mattress in the master bedroom "appeared to be brand new."

Prosecutors claimed, "The evidence is significant that defendant obstructed the investigation by removing the mattress she admitted to [the] informant that she shot Matthew on while he was sleeping and replaced days later with a new mattress."

Gledhill’s mother allegedly told detectives that she purchased a new mattress from Amazon at Gledhill’s request.

"Additionally, the entire wall behind the master bed appeared to have fresh wipe marks from cleaning," court documents state. "Several reddish-brown spots were located on the walls, bed frame, and blinds of the master bedroom. Detectives noted that the wall behind the master bed was covered in bleach."

Police noted "a strong smell of chlorine in the basement" and bleach stains on "several stairs" with black carpeting.

During a search of the suspect’s vehicle, detectives discovered bags of what appeared to be drugs packaged "for individual sale" and roughly $200 in cash.

Citing cellphone records, prosecutors said "at no point" after Sept. 21 did Gledhill "ever attempt to contact" Johnson.

When investigators asked the suspect’s father if he had recently entered the master bedroom, he reportedly responded, "I did not go in where the incident happened."

According to police records, Gledhill previously made "unsuccessful attempts to secure a protective order against Matthew during the course of their marriage and was found by the court to be an instigator and one to goad Matthew into a response in order to get him in trouble," prosecutors argued.

On Oct. 2, Gledhill was arrested and charged with first-degree murder, five counts of obstruction of justice, possession of a controlled substance with intent to distribute, abuse of a human body, and tampering with a witness.

During her first court appearance Monday, 3rd District Judge Todd Olsen ordered her to not have contact with any of her three young children — ages 11, 7, and 5 — either in person or electronically.

KSL-TV reported Gledhill "wiped tears from her face" as the judge issued the order.

Gledhill's attorney, Jeremy Deus, argued, "I think this is a heavy-handed tactic by the state to try to put undue pressure on her."

Deus added, "I can't imagine what it's like to say that she can't see the children and, in effect, tell the children that they can't see mom, either. They're not named victims in the case. I don't see a basis for having a protective order that prevents them from having contact with their mother in any form or fashion."

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Violent felon accused of fatally shooting off-duty corrections officer who intervened after suspect allegedly beat female



A felon with a violent criminal history is accused of fatally shooting an off-duty corrections officer who intervened when the suspect allegedly was beating a woman at a Florida truck stop early Saturday morning.

The U.S. Marshals Fugitive Task Force arrested 29-year-old Demaurea Grant at 7:30 a.m. Sunday at a home in Gastonia, North Carolina, and is pending extradition to Jacksonville, the Florida Times-Union reported, citing Jacksonville Sheriff T.K. Waters' announcement during a news conference.

Grant is charged with murder, possession of a firearm by a convicted felon, aggravated assault with a firearm, and discharging a firearm in public.

Grant is accused of killing Officer Bradley McNew, a sheriff's office corrections officer and 24-year veteran of the department, the Times-Union said.

The Jacksonville Sheriff's Office said a male and female were involved in a violent dispute around 1:20 a.m. in the 12900 block of Duval Road. You can view surveillance video of the incident here. The suspect was observed exiting a black Mustang, placing a black handgun on the hood, removing the female from the driver’s seat, and then battering the female, throwing her against the vehicle and the ground.

Off-duty Corrections Officer Bradley McNew had just finished his shift, heard the disturbance, and went to check on the female victim, the sheriff's office said. The suspect approached McNew, said it was a family matter, re-engaged with the female, and then pointed the gun in Officer McNew’s direction, the sheriff's office said.

The suspect and female returned to the vehicle, and as they were leaving the scene, the suspect was observed hanging out of the window, firing the handgun, and striking Officer McNew, the sheriff's office said, adding that he was taken to a hospital where he died. The Times-Union said McNew was in plain clothes at the time.

The sheriff's office noted that the Mustang had a North Carolina license plate of RHL-4285.

Sheriff Waters said the U.S. Marshals took Grant ― a felon with a violent criminal history ― into custody without incident, the Times-Union said, adding that tips from citizens as well as the investigation by detectives from the Sheriff's Office, the Marshals Service Fugitive Task Force, and the State Attorney's Office led to his arrest.

Grant is charged with murder, possession of a firearm by a convicted felon, aggravated assault with a firearm, and discharging a firearm in public, Waters said, according to the paper.

The sheriff added that a female who was with Grant was taken into custody on an unrelated warrant regarding a North Carolina crime, the Times-Union said, adding that the sheriff's office didn't release her name or say what her relationship, if any, might be to Grant.

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'Extreme Makeover: Home Edition' star stabbed to death; suspect bizarrely calls cops hours after incident and is arrested



Eduardo Xol — a star of ABC’s reality show “Extreme Makeover: Home Edition” — has died at age 58. Authorities said a stabbing was the cause of death.

According to the Riverside County Sheriff, Xol died Friday at the Desert Regional Medical Center after an incident that occurred 10 days earlier — at 5:41 a.m. Sept. 10 — in Palm Springs, California.

'We are heartbroken at the tragic loss of our beloved Eduardo Xol.'

The Palm Springs Police Department said in a press release that officers responded to a 911 call from a man at the identical address and time that the Riverside County Sheriff noted.

"Upon arriving at the scene, officers heard a male voice inside the residence in apparent distress," the Palm Springs police said. "After making entry, officers discovered a man suffering from significant injuries consistent with an assault."

The news release stated that "the victim informed officers that he had been stabbed, though he did not identify the assailant."

The stabbing victim was rushed to a local hospital, where he was listed in serious but stable condition at the time.

Police said they received a phone call hours after the stabbing from a man claiming to have been assaulted the night before.

However, "through further investigation," officers determined that the man who made the call was the suspect in the stabbing earlier that day.

Palm Springs officers arrested Richard Joseph Gonzales, 34, of Cathedral City. He initially was charged with attempted murder and was booked at the John Benoit Detention Center in Indio. Updated inmate records show Gonzales has been charged with murder.

No bail was set, and he is scheduled to appear in court Dec. 18.

Xol’s family issued the following statement to the Hollywood Reporter:

We are heartbroken at the tragic loss of our beloved Eduardo Xol. We know that his kindness has touched the lives of so many. We ask for that kindness returned now allowing our privacy to be respected as we process our grief. In lieu of flowers, we ask that donations be made in Eduardo’s name to the Lupus Foundation of America as he spent so much of his life in the service of others.

Xol was a personality and designer on "Extreme Makeover: Home Edition" for more than seven seasons.

As an actor, he appeared in the 1998 film “Bravo” and tele-novelas such as “La Jaula de Oro,” “Sentimientos de Oro,” and “Acapulco, Cuerpo y Alma.”

Xol also was an author as well as a correspondent for People en Español and AOL Latino.

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Suspect in brutal shopping mall murder got no jail time from left-wing prosecutor after previous felony arrest: Report



One of the suspects accused of brutally murdering a 68-year-old woman outside a posh mall in Newport Beach last week reportedly got no jail time from the office of left-wing Los Angeles County District Attorney George Gascón after a previous felony arrest.

Citing interviews and records it reviewed, the Los Angeles Times reported that the murder suspect in question — 26-year-old Leroy Ernest Joseph McCrary — was placed on probation for stealing a Rolex at gunpoint in Santa Monica in 2022, avoiding prison time after L.A. County prosecutors agreed to a three-year suspended sentence.

The Times added that Nathan Hochman — Gascón’s opponent in this November's election — said Gascón’s 'malpractice appears to have cost another life.'

The Orange County District Attorney's Office said McCrary on July 2 ran over New Zealander tourist Patricia McKay and dragged her body 65 feet amid a violent robbery of the victim and her 69-year-old husband at the Fashion Island mall, adding that McCrary is eligible for the death penalty if convicted of a special circumstances murder charge.

Photo by Smith Collection/Gado/Getty Images

McCrary faces additional felony charges of attempted second-degree robbery and evading while driving recklessly, the Orange County DA's office said, adding that he has prior felony convictions for residential burglary, criminal threats, and robbery, all in Los Angeles County.

The Times noted the following in regard to the 2022 incident:

Santa Monica Police Lt. Erika Aklufi said surveillance video in that case showed McCrary putting a handgun to the head of a man on Broadway. He and an accomplice demanded the man’s watch, she said.

McCrary’s DNA also was recovered from the victim’s shirt, which he’d grabbed during the robbery, police said.

Prosecutors charged McCrary, who had been arrested by L.A. police a month later, and Donta Baker with robbery in the Santa Monica case based on the DNA evidence, according to court records reviewed by The Times.

The Times said McCrary pleaded no contest in 2023 to one count of robbery, after which L.A. County Superior Court Judge Cathryn Brougham sentenced him to three years. But the paper said Brougham suspended the sentence and placed McCrary on two years’ probation, also ordering him to complete 200 hours of community service.

The Times added that McCrary’s suspended sentence ran concurrent with another suspended sentence following a conviction for possessing a gun as a felon in a separate case the LAPD investigated.

The paper said that while Brougham ordered the completion of a probation report before McCrary’s sentencing, courthouse clerks could find no report upon the Times' request. Probation reports typically provide sentencing recommendations along with defendants' probation suitability, the paper added.

The Times reported that L.A. County prosecutors defended their handling of the case related to stealing a Rolex at gunpoint, a case which officials said “had significant problems with proof.”

More from the paper:

A spokesperson in the district attorney’s office said an inability to identify the defendant in the surveillance video hampered the case. Two witnesses were unable to identify the suspects, the spokesperson said, noting that the robber’s face was not shown in the video because he was wearing a mask.

She also said that prosecutors were unable to identify the item in the suspect’s hands, and that a confirmatory DNA test was never conducted on the robbery victim’s shirt, which called into question its accuracy.

“As a result of these issues, the management team ... authorized a plea offer that allowed [him] to be placed on probation with a suspended state prison sentence,” the district attorney’s office said in a statement, the Times reported.

Opponents of Gascón told the paper that the handling of the case demonstrates how his office has been mismanaged. The Times added that Nathan Hochman — Gascón’s opponent in this November's election — said Gascón’s “malpractice appears to have cost another life.”

Anything else?

The two other suspects in last week's brutal killing in Newport Beach are Malachi Darnell and Jaden Cunningham, both 18, the Orange County DA's Office said.

(L to R) Jaden Cunningham; Malachi DarnellImage source: Orange County (Calif.) District Attorney's Office

The DA's office said McKay and her husband were waiting for a ride after finishing shopping at the mall when a white Toyota Camry pulled up next to the couple. The DA's office said two masked suspects — later identified as Darnell and Cunningham — jumped out and attacked McKay’s husband, putting a gun to his head and demanding his watch as they forced him to the ground as bystanders ran away.

When the pair couldn't get the husband's property, Cunningham is accused of throwing McKay to the ground, stealing her shopping bags, and dragging her into the street in front of the getaway car, which McCrary was driving, the DA's office said.

With McKay lying in front of the Camry, McKay’s husband jumped in front of the vehicle in an effort to stop his wife from being run over, but McCrary is accused of accelerating forward with Darnell in the vehicle, pushing McKay’s husband out of the way, and running over McKay and dragging her body 65 feet, the DA's office said.

While McCrary was dragging McKay under the car, Cunningham was running to try to catch up to the getaway car, the DA's office said, adding that a good Samaritan tried to stop Cunningham from getting back into the vehicle. Darnell is accused of shooting from the getaway car at the good Samaritan, the DA's office said, adding that McCrary is accused of slowing down to allow Cunningham to jump back into the getaway vehicle, after which McCrary drove away.

The DA's office said Darnell and Cunningham also are eligible for the death penalty if they are convicted of the special circumstances murder charges. Darnell also has been charged with second-degree attempted robbery, attempted murder, and felony enhancements of personal use of a firearm and personal discharge of a firearm, the DA's office said, adding that Cunningham also has been charged with one felony count of attempted second-degree robbery.

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Bizarre, broad-daylight confrontation ends with male shooting female dead — but female's girlfriend charged with murder



A bizarre, broad-daylight confrontation Wednesday in Rock Hill, South Carolina, ended with a male shooting a female dead — but the female's girlfriend was charged with murder.

Police responded to the shooting around 3:10 p.m. at Riverwalk Parkway near Cel River Road and found a woman who was shot in the chest, WSOC-TV reported.

But police on Thursday told the station that Reed was charged with murder because she brought the gun and gave it to Lindsay.

Investigators told the station the male and 40-year-old Samarian Lindsay worked together at a nearby business. The Post and Courier said the pair had a disagreement.

After work, Lindsay got into a vehicle with her girlfriend, 32-year-old Brittney Reed, WSOC said. The Post and Courier said Reed was driving the car.

The male got into his vehicle and started to drive away, but Reed used her vehicle to block him in while he was in traffic, the station said.

With that, Lindsay walked up to the passenger side window of the male's vehicle and pulled out a gun, police told WSOC. But the male also pulled out a gun and shot her, police added to the station.

Reed punched the male in the face, the station said, adding that he yelled at her to go away, which she did. The male then waited for officers to arrive, WSOC said, and they detained him.

Lindsay was taken to Piedmont Medical Center, where she was pronounced dead, the station said.

“Based on the factors, the male is not being charged as the shooting was in self-defense,” police told WSOC, adding that Reed was charged with assault and battery Wednesday.

But police on Thursday told the station that Reed was charged with murder because she brought the gun and gave it to Lindsay.

A judge denied Reed’s bond, WSOC said, adding that officers recovered two handguns. The investigation is ongoing, the station said.

The identity of the male driver hasn't been released as of Thursday, the Post and Courier said, adding that police did not say which business employed the pair.

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Female booked for murder after cops respond to gang-related shooting; male pronounced dead at hospital



A female has been booked for murder after police in Anaheim, California, said they responded to a gang-related shooting over the weekend — and a wounded male was pronounced dead at a hospital.

Anaheim police said its officers as well as Anaheim Fire & Rescue personnel responded around 2:30 a.m. Saturday to the 800 block of West Cottonwood Circle in regard to a shooting.

Detectives booked Cureno into the Anaheim Detention Facility for murder, police said, adding that she was being held in lieu of $1 million.

Police said witnesses transported two victims to a local hospital before emergency services arrived.

Jose Andres Abrego, 30, of Anaheim, was suffering from at least one gunshot wound and was pronounced dead at the hospital, police said, adding that the second victim — also an adult male — was stabbed at least one time and is expected to survive.

Detectives identified 24-year-old Jannett Cureno of Santa Ana as the suspect, police said, adding that she fled the scene before officers arrived.

Authorities found Cureno around 1 p.m. Saturday in the 300 block of Newhope St. in Santa Ana and arrested her without incident, police said.

Detectives booked Cureno into the Anaheim Detention Facility for murder, police said, adding that she was being held in lieu of $1 million.

Police said detectives aren't disclosing additional details since the investigation is ongoing. Detectives are asking anyone with information about this incident to contact the Anaheim Police Department Homicide Detail at 714-321-3669 or Orange County Crime Stoppers at 855-TIP-OCCS.

How are observers reacting?

Commenters on the Anaheim Police Department's Facebook post about the shooting took no prisoners:

  • "She’s just misunderstood," one commenter quipped. "Ask her mother if you don’t believe me."
  • "Throw away the key now!!!" another user declared.
  • "Her life is over as it should be," another commenter said.
  • "Hell awaits her," another user predicted.

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Cops charge 14-year-old male with murder after 15-year-old male fatally stabbed during brawl in high school caught on video



Police charged a 14-year-old male with murder after a 15-year-old male was fatally stabbed during a Monday brawl caught on video inside a Raleigh, North Carolina, high school.

What are the details?

Multiple students posted video clips on social media appearing to show a fight beginning in a hallway and spilling into a gymnasium at Southeast Raleigh High School, the News & Observer reported, adding that a knife is visible on video.

The Raleigh police officer assigned as the school resource officer responded just after 11 a.m. to a stabbing report, the paper said.

A 15-year-old student and a 16-year-old student received first aid at the scene and were taken to a local hospital, the paper said, adding that the 15-year-old student died while the 16-year-old student has non-life-threatening injuries.

Authorities haven't released the names of the two stabbing victims, but the News & Observer said the family of the deceased student told its partner WTVD-TV that they are processing what occurred, working through their grief, and planning to hold a balloon release in his memory later this week.

The paper said Raleigh police obtained a secure custody order for a 14-year-old suspect who was charged with murder on a juvenile petition. Due to his age, the suspect’s name has not been released, the paper also reported, adding that it's unclear if other students will face criminal charges or school discipline in connection with the incident.

The school is closed Tuesday, the News & Observer said, adding that parents whose children need support Tuesday can speak to someone by calling the school at 919-856-2800. Members of the school system’s crisis team and Employee Support and Wellness team will be available to support students and staff members, the paper said, adding that the date classes will resume hasn't been announced.

Police are asking those with information or evidence related to the stabbing to call 919-996-1193, the paper said.

Wake County Superintendent Robert Taylor and school board chair Lindsay Mahaffey issued a joint statement Monday saying the district will continue to review all its safety processes and protocols to determine what happened and what changes may be needed, the News & Observer said, adding that the school doesn't use metal or weapon detectors.

The school board’s safety and security committee is meeting Tuesday, the paper said, adding that the meeting was scheduled before the fatal stabbing.

14-year-old Charged with Murder: Southeast Raleigh High School closed Tuesday after deadly stabbing youtu.be

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14-year-old girl charged with murder of 73-year-old man; 2nd teen charged in connection with brutal traffic cone beating



A 14-year-old girl has been charged with third-degree murder in connection with last month's brutal traffic cone beating of a 73-year-old man in Philadelphia, WCAU-TV reported.

The girl is the second teenager charged with murder in this case; a 14-year-old boy also was charged with murder after surrendering to police earlier this week. The girl turned herself in around 11 a.m. Wednesday, WCAU added.

The station said both the boy and girl are being charged as adults.

What's the background?

Teenagers were caught on video beating James Lambert with a traffic cone on a north Philadelphia street just after 2:30 a.m. June 24; he died the following day, WCAU-TV reported in a separate story.

Sources told the station that Lambert was walking past a basketball court when he asked the teens why they were out so late.

\u201cAuthorities have now charged a second teenager in the deadly beating of 73-year-old James Lambert in North Philadelphia. @RossDiMattei has the latest details. \nhttps://t.co/8kYMVVyFnZ\u201d
— CBS Philly (@CBS Philly) 1657795601

The first attacker is seen in the clip striking Lambert — who's blurred in the video — with a traffic cone as the victim tries to cross the street and get away from the group. After Lambert lands on the sidewalk, another teen appears to use a cellphone to take a photo or video of Lambert. A third teen is seen picking up the same traffic cone and throwing it at the victim.

"The teens struck the victim several times with objects, knocking the victim to the ground causing injuries to his head," police said in a news blotter. "The victim was transported to the hospital where he died of his injuries the following day."

The video also shows the suspects leaving the scene — and two of them appear to be smiling:

Image source: Philadelphia police

The teens apparently gathered after the attack, and one was seen acting out what appeared to be a "stumbling person," the station said.

"It's so evil; how could you do that to a person?" Elsie Stephens, the victim's older sister told WCAU soon after the video of the attack on Lambert was released, adding, "You have a mother and a father; how could you just beat a man until you take off half of his skull?"

Lawyer sheds more light

Two other youths surrendered to police as well: The 10-year-old brother of the 14-year-old boy charged with murder as well as a 13-year-old girl. Both of them have been released.

Donte Mills — the attorney for the 13-year-old girl — told WCAU on video that it was suggested that the group of teens go over to Lambert and "mess with him a little bit."

But Mills said not only did his client try to stop the group from approaching Lambert, but also that she tried to prevent the traffic cone attack on him, called 911 after fell to the ground, and stayed with him until emergency personnel arrived.

Anything else?

The following are additional images from the police department's video:

Image source: Philadelphia police

Image source: Philadelphia police

Police said if you spot the teens from the video or accompanying images, call 911 immediately, WCAU reported. Those with information about the attack can submit anonymous tips by phone or text to 215-686-(8477) or online, the station added.

NYC deli worker Jose Alba released from Rikers Island after being charged with murdering ex-con who attacked him in store



Jose Alba — the New York City deli worker charged with murdering an ex-con who physically attacked him last week in what many are calling a clear case of self-defense — was released Thursday from notorious Rikers Island prison on reduced bail.

What are the details?

After first setting Alba's bail at $250,000, prosecutors said they negotiated a new bail package with Alba’s lawyer and asked Judge Jonathan Svetkey to reduce it to $50,000, the New York Post reported.

The paper said prosecutors claimed Alba was a flight risk because of a planned trip to the Dominican Republic next week.

While out on bail, Alba must wear an ankle bracelet, must surrender his passport, and can't leave New York City, the Post reported, adding that Assistant District Attorney Jennifer Sigall said the bail terms “will ensure the fact that the defendant will not go to the DR as he planned to.”

Alba — a native of the Dominican Republic — came to America about 30 years ago and became a citizen 14 years ago, the Post added.

“He has every intention to return to court and defend this case,” Alba’s attorney, Danielle Jackson of Neighborhood Defender Service of Harlem, said in Manhattan Criminal Court, according to the paper.

Prosecutors will present the case to a grand jury on July 20, the Post said.

What's the background?

A woman tried to use a benefits card to buy potato chips for her 10-year-old daughter around 11 p.m. Friday at the Bluemoon Convenient Store in Harlem on Broadway near West 139th Street, the New York Daily News reported.

The transaction was declined, the Daily News said, citing the criminal complaint.

Amid an argument, prosecutors said Alba reached over the counter, grabbed the girl’s hand, and yanked the chips away, the Daily News reported.

Alba's boss — deli owner Maad Ahmad — told the Daily News the mom became enraged: “The lady threw everything from the counter and the [benefits card reader] machine, too. She said, ‘I’m going to get my man, and he’s going to get you.’”

The mother then came back inside the deli with Austin Simon, who got behind the store's counter to confront Alba, the Daily News said.

Security video shows Simon shoving Alba into product shelves, after which Alba — sporting a baseball cap, glasses, and a white mustache and beard — appears to slide down the shelves into a seated position.

Image source: TeaTenders video screenshot

The Daily News said Simon actually shoved Alba hard into a chair that hit the merchandise shelves.

“Jose said ... ‘I don’t want any problems,’” deli owner Ahmad recounted to the Daily News.

Simon then grabs Alba by the neck, pulls him up, and begins to walk him out of the area behind the counter.

Image source: TeaTenders video screenshot

With that, Alba grabs a knife that the paper said was stashed behind the counter and starts fighting back.

“He wanted me to come apologize to the girl,” Alba told a New York City police detective, according to the Daily News. “I took the knife we use to open boxes, and I stabbed him.”

Image source: TeaTenders video screenshot

The Daily News — citing the criminal complaint — added that Simon’s girlfriend grabbed a knife from her purse and stabbed Alba in the arm.

Video shows Alba checking out what appears to be stab wound on his bloody left arm.

Image source: TeaTenders video screenshot

Here's security video of the fight. Content warning: Graphic video.

EMS crews took Simon to Harlem Hospital, where he was pronounced dead, WNBC-TV reported.

Alba was arraigned Saturday on a second-degree murder charge, the Daily News said. He also was charged with criminal possession of a weapon, police told WNBC.

'Jose Alba should be getting a Congressional Medal of Honor'

The Post reported that Guardian Angels founder and former mayoral candidate Curtis Sliwa said Thursday outside the courtroom that "Jose Alba should be getting a Congressional Medal of Honor. Instead, he’s locked up on Rikers and this is all [Manhattan District Attorney] Alvin Bragg. He turns loose real criminals, and he incarcerates victims who fight back. What kind of a message is this?”

Mark Bederow, a former Manhattan prosecutor, added to the Post: “I don’t think a grand jury would indict [Alba] for murder in the second degree, and I don’t think a jury would convict him beyond a reasonable doubt given what the justification statute states,” which refers to self-defense arguments.

'Murdered in cold blood'

The Post said Simon’s family exited Thursday's hearing in tears, with his sister saying Simon “was murdered in cold blood.”

“If the shoe was on the other foot, my brother wouldn’t have gotten bail or bond or nothing,” she added, according to the paper.

Tina Lee, who said she has three children with Simon, called him “a good man” and a “good father” who took “good care” of all his children, the Post noted.

A separate Post story reported that Simon was on parole at the time of last week's deadly incident for assaulting a cop. State corrections records show Simon served prison time on a second-degree assault conviction for attacking the officer before he was paroled last year, the Post added.

In addition, the paper — citing sources and records — said Simon was busted at least eight times on charges ranging from assault, robbery, and assault during a domestic dispute.

Mother, 20, allegedly slams 8-week-old daughter repeatedly on road; infant dies days later; mother charged with capital murder



Charges against a Mississippi mother have been upgraded to capital murder after she allegedly slammed her 8-week-old daughter repeatedly on a road in Pearl last week.

What are the details?

Police said they received several 911 calls around 2 p.m. Thursday saying a woman had repeatedly and forcibly thrown a baby on the road in the 700 block of North Bierdeman Road. Arriving officers found another woman holding a severely injured child, after which emergency services began first aid.

Police said the infant's mother — 20-year-old Makaylia Shaylynn Jolley — ran to a nearby wooded area but was soon taken into custody and charged with attempted murder and felony child abuse.

The infant was taken to Children’s Hospital of Mississippi in Jackson and listed in critical condition there, police said.

During a Friday news conference about the incident, Pearl Police Chief Dean Scott said the infant was still alive but unresponsive and on a ventilator, WTVJ-TV reported.

The infant — Khalysie Lashay Jolley — died Saturday afternoon, police said in a Facebook update, adding that charges against the mother would be upgraded to capital murder along with felony child abuse.

Jolley’s initial appearance in Pearl Municipal Court was scheduled for Tuesday afternoon, police added.

Scott said Jolley’s actions were “deliberate and intentional" and that she has shown no remorse, WTVJ reported.

Jolley faces life in prison and the possibility of the death penalty, WAPT-TV reported. She is being held in the Rankin County Jail, WXXV-TV said.

A neighbor who didn't want to be identified told WAPT Jolley was a good mother: "I don't understand. Something had to go wrong. Postpartum or something. Because she really is a very good mother. I don't understand what happened."

Scott also said narcotics and patrol officers "are very familiar" with Jolley, WAPT reported.

Grief and compassion

The Pearl community held a balloon release and candlelight vigil Monday for Khalysie.

Kayla Moore — a cousin of the accused mother — said said there should be no rush to judgment, WAPT reported in a separate story.

"What the public needs to know is this is a mother that truly loved her kids ... this is a mental thing, this is a spiritual thing, and it needs to be recognized before they throw the hammer down on her," Moore said, according to WAPT.

Jolley’s great-aunt told WTVJ in a follow-up story that Jolley called her about an hour before the incident and asked her to come over and pray, but the great-aunt couldn't because she was watching her grandchild.

“I should have been there," the great-aunt told WTVJ. "I started blaming myself."

Jolley also has a son, and police added to WTVJ that he's in the custody of his grandmother.

“We’re all emotional. This is not real. Our 20-year-old baby cousin is going to spend a long time in prison if not life if they don’t get her the right kind of help,” Moore said, according to WTVJ. “She didn’t have all this psychotic stuff that people were making up about her, and she was remorseful ... "

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